A Distant Prayer
by PrdigyRavenclaw
Summary: During the Battle of Hogwarts, when Harry sacrifices himself to save his friends and his world, he's given a choice... WIP, NoShipsYET, Canon-HP. Spiritual overtones.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter. This is for pure personal enjoyment and in no way am I profiting from this. This disclaimer applies to this and all subsequent chapters. All hail JKR! This will be a dimension-traveling fic – HP will stay mostly to canon, no overt character bashing. I was inspired by many fanfics when I wrote this but I don't believe I've seen one quite like this. Any and all references to any other material fact or fiction are pure coincidence and accidental.

Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, Savior of the Wizarding World, and Holder of Too Many Titles awoke to a bright light shining into his eyes. He was dazed, confused and for a brief moment forgot where he was. Furthermore, how did he even get here?

Then it came to him. Slowly, painfully slowly – he remembered. Bellatrix laughing, Voldemort mocking, a bright green light and then… sweet, sweet relief. No pain, no worries, just a breezy comforting sensation wrapped around his very soul.

The young man slowly sat up from where he lay. He was no longer in the forest behind his school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He wasn't sure where he was to be exact but somehow he knew he wasn't where… well, anything really was. 'Is this some sort of dream?' he thought.

Harry paused, stood up, and looked around – the bright light that had been shining into his eyes seemed to come from everywhere, yet nowhere at once. There were lush fields, trees, plants… he deduced he had to be in some other world – what other explanation could there be after all, when you're hit with the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra?

As he contemplated what sort of after life this could possibly be his mind drifted back to the last few months – life on the run, Ron's betrayal and return, Hermione's strength, Ginny's trials and tribulations. He hoped they'd survive without him. He hoped they'd kill Voldemort. He most of all hoped that the world his parents died to protect, the world he… had died to protect… would survive.

"Harry."

He turned and saw the two people he'd dreamed of meeting since he could remember – his parents.

Well there you have it - short chapter to start but I'm just getting warmed up! More to come soon. Constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms. Please, follow, fave, review.

Thanks!

-TPoR


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter. This is for pure personal enjoyment and in no way am I profiting from this. This disclaimer applies to this and all subsequent chapters. All hail JKR!

This will be a dimension-traveling fic – HP will stay mostly to canon, no overt character bashing. I was inspired by many fanfics when I wrote this but I don't believe I've seen one quite like this. Any and all references to any other material fact or fiction are pure coincidence and accidental.

Previously on A Distant Prayer:

"Harry."

He turned and saw the two people he'd dreamed of meeting since he could remember – his parents.

And now:

The first thing he noticed was that they were young – painfully so. They could have blended in with some of the 7th years at Hogwarts – vibrant, colorful and very much alive. Or so they seemed. Harry blinded once, then twice. His parents smiled at him and he drank in every detail, memorizing them with stunning clarity.

His mother was very pretty – perhaps not a stunning beauty but her vibrant red hair and shocking green eyes set her apart from a crowd. Slim and carrying herself with poise, she had a sparkle of mischief and wisdom in her eyes that spoke volumes to the personality lurking beneath the surface.

His father was her equal in every way that he was so different. He could see the resemblance to himself but his father's eyes shined with laughter and joy. He was tall, with a slim muscular build so many Quidditch players gained over the course of playing for years.

"Harry."

He turned to his mother and was at a loss for words. She smiled.

"Harry, come here."

Her arms opened wide and for a moment he was confused, not knowing what that meant. Then he realized she was welcoming him to hug him. He took four swift steps forward and was suddenly in her arms. Even though he was a good three inches taller than her he felt suddenly like a small child, warm, welcomed, and loved.

He felt a pair of strong arms encircle them both and he started, then relaxed as he realized the arms belonged to his father. For a moment all three of them were silent and stood there in an embrace years in the making.

Then his mother pulled away, smiled up at him and brushed the hair out of his eyes. Her fingers lightly stroked the place where is scar was etched into his skin. Harry pulled back slightly and looked between her and his father. "Mum, dad… what is this place?"

His father smiled at him and shook his head. "There are many names for it son, but we call it The Nevermore. It's an in-between place only open to those passing on and their loved ones. No one stays here long –it's impossible to linger."

His mother nodded. "We don't have much time, Harry. There are some things we must discuss."

On his right, his father put an arm around his shoulders. On his left his mother put her arm around his waist and as a unit – a family unit, he thought with wondrous disbelief – they started walking through the fields, ambling with seemingly no sense of direction.

For a moment there was silence and then his father spoke.

"We're very proud of everything you've accomplished son. You've been a strong man – a leader – much sooner than any boy should be expected to. You succeeded where so many couldn't and for that we're grateful to call ourselves your parents."

Harry stared down at his feet as they shuffled along, slightly embarrassed. His mother squeezed his waist.

"He's right dear – we couldn't be prouder. You're everything we hoped you'd grow up to be, even if we'd wished the circumstances had been different."

As silence once again descended on them Harry noticed that they had arrived at a beautiful lake. There was a blanket spread out and his parents separated, walking towards it and then sitting down. They motioned Harry to join them.

After a few moments of getting settled Harry asked the most obvious questions on his mind.

"Mum, dad… am I dead? Where am I? How are you both here? What happens now?"

His parents shared a glance before his father spoke. "Well son, when you took the Killing Curse your body absorbed the curse as did your soul. However Voldemort did not realize you held a piece of his soul as well."

Here James paused and answered Harry's quizzical glance. "The night your mother and I died he inadvertently sent a piece of his soul into you."

His mother nodded, "That's right, when he offered me three chances to step aside and I refused – when he killed me he allowed my sacrifice to create a protection around you. A protection Albus utilized for your protection at Petunia's house… a protection that had lasted your whole life."

Here his father took over the conversation, "So when he tried to kill you as an infant the curse backfired, striking him, splitting his unstable soul one more time. His specter vanished leaving the piece of soul in stasis – looking for a host. It found you.

Lily smiled, "That's why you're here sweetheart. A Killing Curse can rip the soul from the body but in this case there was a soul, as well as a piece of a soul."

Harry held up his hand to stop her from continuing. "So does that mean I can go back… and where is his piece of soul? If I'm here, why isn't it here too?"

His father scowled. "Monstrous creations like those – abominations to the nature of the universe – the balance of life and death… They don't ever reach this place. I can only assume it's waiting for the rest of the pieces, and then it can face judgment. Just as well all must someday. As for returning…"

His mother looked down at the blanket, avoiding Harry's eyes. Then she looked up and he saw it was because she was holding back tears. "Sweetheart you can't go back. A Killing Curse – the price of such a deadly spell – it costs the victim 100% - all \- of their soul. Even though part of Voldemort's soul has been destroyed, if you were to return… The Avada Kedavra… magic itself… would demand more of your soul to compensate. Such is the volatile nature of magic, and the reason it's forbidden. There is no return from such a curse, even in this situation… I'm so sorry… "

His father spoke next. "Even if you could return son, you wouldn't want to - not having a full soul, among the living... it's a hell we wouldn't wish on you. You would never have a full and meaningful life. You'd be less... human."

Silence descended upon them.

Harry looked both of his parents in the eye. "I knew that was a possibility. I was prepared to sacrifice my life to kill the piece of that monster's soul that lived inside me. I had to give my friends a fighting chance to defeat him… but if I can't go back, why am I in Nevermore?"

His mother smiled at him through her tears and his father reached out his hand to hold hers. James took in a deep breath and said, "Because Harry… you've been given a choice."

End of Chapter Two

Funny enough I don't know if JKR or anyone else has ever addressed HOW the Killing Curse rips a soul out – I can only imagine 100% must be 'killed' with each curse leaving every person dead, every time. Even with the additional 'part' of Voldemort's soul – that's still not a full additional soul in this little math equation in my head. If he'd returned he'd have to have less than his full soul, and not be able to fully return. I don't know, maybe it's a reach. I am after all just a muggle and am in no way an expert in spell crafting. Just seems logical to me. So I'm going with it. Let me know if you disagree?


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter. This is for pure personal enjoyment and in no way am I profiting from this. This disclaimer applies to this and all subsequent chapters. All hail JKR! – This will be a dimension-traveling fic – HP will stay mostly to canon, no overt character bashing. I was inspired by many fanfics when I wrote this but I don't believe I've seen one quite like this. Any and all references to any other material fact or fiction are pure coincidence and accidental.

Previously on A Distant Prayer:

Harry: "…I was prepared to sacrifice my life to kill the piece of that monster's soul that lived inside me. I had to give my friends a fighting chance to defeat him… but if I can't go back, why am I in Nevermore?"… "Because Harry… you've been given a choice."

And Now…

Harry sat in contemplative silence. He could not remember a time in the past few years where he could sit in such quiet and just think. His mind felt both at peace and like a hurricane was blowing through, ripping apart everything in its path. Finally he spoke.

"What choice is there? You said so yourself. The curse took my soul."

His father shook his head, "It didn't *take* your soul. You gave it up to save – ultimately – all of humanity."

His mother agreed, "Exactly dear… We do not know who controls this plain of existence… God, Buddha, Allah, Fate, Destiny, Death,… ultimately they're giving you a choice."

"A choice to live."

"Or a choice to pass on."

There was silence once again in the field where they sat.

It seemed to stretch on.

Finally Harry spoke.

"So… I can go home then?"

His mother stroked his cheek gently, gazing in to the eyes that were hers and hers alone.

"No darling, you can't… but you can still live."

His father grabbed his hand and his mother's.

"We're running out of time son. We don't know where you'll go, when, how,… who you'll meet. We don't know if you'll ever see us again… but I have hope."

His mother nodded.

"You deserve to live. Really, truly live my darling child."

Harry paused, looked both of his parents in the eyes and tried to memorize their faces, their voices, this moment in time. Finally,

"I'll go."

Lily Potter wiped tears from her eyes. James Potter smiled a sad smile. Then, together they said,

"We love you."

And suddenly a bright light instantaneously appeared, drowning out all sight from Harry's eyes.

Then, blackness.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter. This is for pure personal enjoyment and in no way am I profiting from this. This disclaimer applies to this and all subsequent chapters. All hail JKR! – This will be a dimension-traveling fic – HP will stay mostly to canon, no overt character bashing. I was inspired by many fanfics when I wrote this but I don't believe I've seen one quite like this. Any and all references to any other material fact or fiction are pure coincidence and accidental.

Previously on A Distant Prayer:

Lily: "You deserve to live. Really, truly live my darling child." Harry paused, … "I'll go." Lily Potter… James Potter… together they said, "We love you." And suddenly a bright light instantaneously appeared, drowning out all sight from Harry's eyes. Then, blackness.

And Now:

When some people fall asleep, time seems fickle. An hour asleep can feel like a full night. A full night's sleep can feel like mere seconds have passed.

So when Harry Potter woke up, he had no idea where he was, nor how long he'd been asleep. It was very disconcerting. He slowly opened his eyes to a blurry world.

Glasses. Of course.

His hands reached out but all they felt was grass. Then suddenly, his glasses. His wand.

The Resurrection Stone.

Then it hit him. Voldemort, his friends, Hogwarts… his parents. A white light. A choice?

Eyes wide open with panic Harry sat up and cried out, "Is anyone there?! Ron? Hermione? Anybody?"

The sun was bright. What he could only assume was the Forbidden Forest was quiet and empty. The field where last night Lord Voldemort had stood was empty of anyone else.

He tried to calm his breathing. He was alive, he knew that much. Everything else would work itself out. Standing, he brushed grass and leaves off his obsidian Hogwarts robes, and started heading in the general direction of where he hoped the castle was. The sun was low in the sky. It would be dark soon and he didn't want to be caught in the Forbidden Forest at night. He remembered the dangers that lurked from his own adventures in his younger years.

As he walked his mind raced wild with so many thoughts his head throbbed. Had he truly died? If so, what was he thinking? Just leaving behind his friends and everyone he knew? Sure, his parents said he could not go back but…

He paused for a moment. Even if he could have gone back, he'd done what he could… did all that was asked of him. What was left there? Ron and Hermione would have each other. Remus, the last connection to his parents, was dead. He brushed any thoughts of Ginny aside. She was fine before and she would be now. Maybe it was better this way.

Furthermore, if his parents were right there was no way for him to return to that existence. This was truly the only other choice he could make. Lingering on his old life was pointless. He'd honor what his parents wished for him – to live a full and complete life, whatever that would look like here.

Lost in his thoughts he mindlessly exited the Forbidden Forest, walked past Hagrid's hut, and started striding up to the front doors of Hogwarts when suddenly a figure appeared.

"Young man, where do you think you're going?"

Harry looked up straight into the eyes of Professor McGonagall.

"Professor… I can't believe it's you!"

Harry ran as swiftly as he could towards her, so wrapped up in his relief to see another familiar person that he did not even notice her wand whip out and shoot out a silent stunner until it was too late. Again, all went black.

Muffled sounds greeted Harry's ears as he began to regain consciousness. He opened his eyes and was… once again… missing his glasses. However there was something familiar about this ceiling – it was white. The smell that surrounded him was of fresh, clean linens. The sterilizing scent of Scouring Charm. The slightly stiff bed and lumpy pillow.

Hogwart's Infirmary.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Harry called out.

He reached to the left searching for his glasses. Then he reached out to the right and found them.

Putting them on he began to sit up when a pair of hands pushed him back down. It was Madam Pomfrey.

"Dear you need to lay back and rest. You took quite a hit with that stunner and you're nowhere near ready to get out of that bed. Besides, there are some people who want to speak to you."

Harry glanced over and panic overtook him for a second – the longest second of his life. Albus Dumbledore in his entire twinkly, color-filled splendor was walking towards him, followed by Minerva McGonagall and a handful of aurors. Then he realized – not his world. This was NOT his Albus Dumbledore. He was not dead. Nor was he an apparition. The second of panic passed and he relaxed, taking deep breaths.

He could handle this. Explain who he was, the situation. There was veritaserum, legilimency, any number of ways for Professor Dumbledore to believe who he was and how he had gotten here.

Harry looked up and stared straight into Albus Dumbledore's eyes. "Hello, Professor."

He smiled back but his eyes seemed sad, and alert. There was no twinkle, no mischievous look. A lack of kindness. "Hello to you too young man."

Professor Dumbledore waved off the aurors behind him, motioning for them to hang back – within earshot but out of the way.

"Can I ask who you are, child?"

Harry chuckled sadly, "I haven't been a child in quite some time sir. I have come a long way from quite a distance. I'm not sure what to say… or how much you'll believe."

Professor Dumbledore nodded slightly, cautiously. "Well… I will need to know who you are if you are to stay here. It is the summer months. By all rights, no one should be here except the staff. When Prof. McGonagall came upon you, she followed protocol – stunned you, bound you, escorted you here to the infirmary and called the Ministry for aurors. You're technically trespassing."

Harry tilted his head quizzically. "Summer? What's today's date?"

"July 31st."

Harry was about to ask for the year but remembered that the aurors behind the professor were listening closely. He tried to think about what he could say to get the professor's trust, and to try to get him alone so he could divulge more of his history.

"Sir… I need to discuss Tom Riddle... and I don't think this is the place to do so."

Albus Dumbledore's face drained slightly of color and nodded seriously. Turning to the aurors he nodded to them, "There's been a misunderstanding, gentlemen. I know this young man and simply forgot to inform my Deputy that he would be arriving today."

Prof. McGonagall spoke up "But Albus, he looks just like-"

"That's enough Minerva. We will discuss more later. Please escort our guests out. Poppy, some privacy if you could?"

Without waiting for any response for either parties the aged Headmaster swished his wand and closed a set of curtains Harry hadn't even noticed existed – had the Headmaster conjured them? – and suddenly without time to blink the Headmaster's wand – the *Elder* wand, Harry realized – was pressed gently but firmly to the base of his throat.

Albus Dumbledore, with too many titles to be named and so very, very powerful, looked deep into his eyes and said,

"Who are you and what does the name Tom Riddle to you?"


End file.
